French couple brings European castle feel to the Ozarks

Jean Marc and Solange Mirat are bringing a taste of 13th century France to the Ozarks, where they plan to open a Medieval-style castle this spring.

May 1 is the opening date for Ozark Medieval Fortress in Lead Hill, Ark., which allows Americans to see firsthand how castles of the era were built.

The owners hope the castle will be a learning tool for area schools and a tourist attraction. According to general manager Julie Sonveau, the Mirats and friends Michel Guiot and his wife, Noemi Brunet, who also is in charge of the castle’s marketing and public relations, have invested $1 million in the park so far.

The stone and timber being used in castle construction comes from the land, and workers building the castle have learned of the project “mostly by word of mouth,” Sonveau said.

The walk-through tour of the castle will feature weaving, textiles, dying, basket-making, a medieval garden, 13th century-cooking techniques and a stone quarry and blacksmith shop with a horse-drawn wagon hauling stones.

Once inside the castle walls, attractions include a catapult, a squirrel cage – a medieval device used for lifting heavy loads – and stone-splitting demonstrations.

Builder Billy Williams said some of the methods used to construct castles were genius.

“They used lots of geometry, but to put (their methods) on paper, they couldn’t show you anything,” Williams said. “They were pretty ingenious.”

Read more about the construction of the castle in the April 19 issue of Springfield Business Journal.